Van Dyk blazes a new trail
From netball legend to laundry lady
Massaging tired bowlers and washing grassstained uniforms is all in a day’s work for former Silver Ferns shooting great Irene van Dyk.
The netball legend is thriving in her new role as manager of the Wellington Blaze women’s cricket side, who are coached by husband, Christie.
She is with the team in Lincoln, near Christchurch, this week, where all six women’s sides are playing 50-over and Twenty20 matches.
With the teams staying at New Zealand Cricket’s on-site accommodation and meals taken care of, van Dyk’s first away trip with the Blaze had been largely stress-free.
She provided massages for some of the Blaze players after their T20 match on Wednesday and has been kept busy washing and drying playing kits with games over three consecutive days.
‘‘I’m making sure they’re safe and they know where to be at what time.
‘‘I brought my massage table, so if anyone needs a wee rub down at night, then I’m available for that as well. They used me [on Wednesday] and that was only day one.’’
Van Dyk, 45, retired from professional netball with the Wellington-based Central Pulse in 2015. She played the last of her Silver Fern-record 145 tests in 2014.
Her duties have included assisting rising White Ferns star, 17-year-old legspinner Amelia Kerr, with her bowling. She was helpless trying to pick her googly.
‘‘I had to catch a few balls she bowled with a mitt and I’ll tell you she screwed with my mind big time. I couldn’t read which way it was going.’’
Van Dyk has been fully involved, participating in warmdowns with the Blaze players following Wednesday’s eight-run T20 win over Auckland. She has kept the team hydrated, filling up water bottles and making her way around the boundary to the bowlers.
Van Dyk’s husband Christie in his first season as coach of the Blaze and was searching for a female manager. After struggling to find someone, van Dyk put her hand up.
‘‘He kind of ran out of options and I was the back-stop. He said, ‘Can you help me out?’. I’m so happy I said yes because I’ve learned so much.’’
Netball still dominates van Dyk’s life, working as junior development officer (five to 13 years) for the Netball Central zone.
She also commentates matches for Sky Televison and fits in the odd game on Saturdays for her St Mary’s Old Girls (SMOG) club in the capital.
She missed the Blaze’s first road trip to Dunedin because she was in Fiji with Netball New Zealand, launching the Netgo programme, which seeks to get more Pacific Island children involved in the sport.
Working with cricketers had made van Dyk realise how fortunate she was during her netball career.
‘‘I’ll tell you cricket players are so self-sufficient and so good at looking after themselves and what they need and how to get a ready for a game.
‘‘It’s been eye-opening for netballers, who pretty much get everything done for them.’’
One of the most rewarding parts of van Dyk’s position had been seeing the Blaze work on elements of their game at training and then implement it with success in a match.
She said the Blaze had an excellent mix with several schoolgirls and the experience of domestic veterans Liz Perry, Lucy Doolan, Eimear Richardson and English import Fran Wilson.
White Ferns Rachel Priest, Sophie Devine and Kerr are also in their squad.
‘‘These girls have opened a whole new world in my husband’s eyes.
‘‘They come to training and they’re there for a reason and they don’t muck around. Christie is very methodical ... and I think the girls really respond well to him.’’
"Cricket players are so selfsufficient and so good at looking after themselves ... it's been eyeopening for netballers, who pretty much get everything done for them."
Irene van Dyk